During 2008 Converse will celebrate the people who have made the brand the cultural icon it is today by incorporating original designs, product collaborations and re-issues of classic shoes into the Converse Century footwear collection. The collection, which will roll out throughout 2008, includes new variations on timeless classics and all-new product that blends modern design with Converse originality.

To coincide with Converse’s centennial the brand will also launch Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists, a year-long global curation project designed to celebrate and preserve culture to further support Converse’s long-term partnership with (PRODUCT) REDTM. Enlisting artists across the world, Converse collaborated with artists from a wide-range of disciplines and levels of notoriety from fine artists to art students, rock stars to indie bands, and fashion designers to graphic artists. One of culture’s great blank canvases, generations of artists have been scribbling on the Chuck Taylor All Star shoe for decades and Converse 1HUND(RED) Artists gives artists the opportunity to use their creative power to design a variety of Converse (PRODUCT) RED footwear with the goal of celebrating culture and supporting The Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria.

And now the fun stuff…

As part of the century celebration, Converse is giving away a pair of shoes each to TEN (10) lucky LaineyGossip.com readers! The prize pack also includes a Converse canvas tote bag and a Converse tee.

Converse will work with each winner to pick a style and the fit.

If you’re interested, please send an email WITH YOUR SHOE SIZE to [email protected] with CONVERSE as the title. Here are a few options to consider. I’m all over the red stripes. The stars are my second choice.